The Libicii (or Libui, Libii) were a Gallic tribe dwelling in the Camargue region during the

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...

Name

They are mentioned as ''Lebékioi'' (Λεβέκιοι) by

Polybius Polybius (; grc-gre, Πολύβιος, ; ) was a Greek historian of the Hellenistic period. He is noted for his work , which covered the period of 264–146 BC and the Punic Wars in detail. Polybius is important for his analysis of the mixed ...

(2nd c. BC), ''Libui'' by

Livy Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Ancient Rome, Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditiona ...

(late 1st c. BC), ''Libii'' and ''Libiciorum'' by Pliny (1st c. AD), and as ''Libikō̃n'' (Λιβικῶν) by

Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importanc ...

(2nd c. AD)., s.v. ''Libicii''. According to Patrizia de Bernardo Stempel, the ethnonym ''Libikoi'' could derive from an earlier ''*lub^hikoi'' ('the loving ones'; from

Gaulish Gaulish was an ancient Celtic languages, Celtic language spoken in parts of Continental Europe before and during the period of the Roman Empire. In the narrow sense, Gaulish was the language of the Celts of Gaul (now France, Luxembourg, Belgium ...

''lubi'' 'love') with pretonic vowel assimilation (''u...i'' > ''i...i''). A homonym tribe is documented in northern Italy (see Libicii (Cisalpine Gaul)). This may be the result of migrations from southern France.

Geography

Their territory was situated west of the

Anatilii The Anatilii were a Gallic tribe dwelling in the Alpilles region during the Iron Age. Name They are mentioned as ''Anatiliorum'' by Pliny (1st c. AD).Pliny. ''Naturalis Historia'', 3:34, 3:36., s.v. ''Anatilii''. Their name may be related to ...

and

Avatici The Avatici (Gaulish: *''Auaticoi'') were a Gallic tribe dwelling near the Étang de Berre, between the mouth of the Rhône river and Massilia (modern Marseille), during the Roman period. Name They are mentioned as ''Au̓atilō͂n'' (Αὐατ� ...

, south of the Volcae Arecomici and

Cavari The Cavarī or Cavarēs (Gaulish: *''Cauaroi'', 'the heroes, champions, mighty men') were a Gallic tribe dwelling in the western part of modern Vaucluse, around the present-day cities of Avignon, Orange and Cavaillon, during the Roman period. They ...

., Map 15: Arelate-Massalia. The ''ora'' ''Libica'' mentioned by Pliny refer to the western Rhône delta (), that is to say the Camargue region. According to historian

Guy Barruol Guy Barruol (born 10 June 1934) is a French historian and archaeologist. He is director of research emeritus at the CNRS. Biography Guy Barruol was born on 10 June 1934 in Mazan, Vaucluse, the son of Jean Barruol (1898–1982), a local histori ...

, they were part of the Saluvian confederation. An oppidum with Latin Rights given by Pliny as ''Libii'' was probably the name of their chief town.

References

Bibliography

* * * * {{Gallic peoples Gauls Tribes of pre-Roman Gaul Historical Celtic peoples